Of Paws and Purrs
by ofshoyos
Summary: Turned into a mere cat, Sebastian would not longer be able to tend to his master. This event had led doors opened to danger, and until then— the demon will have to deal with his form and faithfully stay by his master's side, no matter how gruesome the situation turned out to be. Featuring Cat!Sebastian. ( ON INDEFINITE HIATUS. )
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

One of the things that naught a demon could escape from its clutches is a touch of a curse.

In this world filled of humans, curses are to be viewed as another form of blasphemy— disrespect shown to the Gods by an action of bestowing sorrow upon another creature. Throughout the centuries, the source of these curses were to be often found done out of envy, despair, and anger; sentiments in which each and every individual would succumb to in a matter of time. This was not uncommon in the world of demons.

Unlike humans, demons are more ruthless, vicious, and perhaps more superior than they would ever be. They could live on for decades without consuming a meal, and it lies in their possession of abilities that exceeds a human's. These creatures heed a belittling of care to none for others, their eyes resembling to ones of a predator's once its sight fell upon a prey who had caught their interest. They too enjoyed occupying themselves in an activity that brought forth amusement. To them, a game is not more than a mere match of dominance. They would go about at their game to satisfy their own senses of personification. Demons, they too are known to be the nemesis to many beings; including themselves.

* * *

"Young master, it is time to wake up."

Pouring a hot fill of water into a cup of shredded leaves, Sebastian settled the pot back onto the cart before proceeding his way to the covered windows, the curtains drawn back as the flaring rays of sun began to illuminate the chamber.

A quiet groan could be heard from the silhouette underneath the sheets by the time he turned. Blankets were draped all the way up and over one's head, and it nudged a crooked smile to appear on Sebastian's face as he witness this. It is not quite surprising of his master to react in a way, for he had done this a plentiful of times. Shortly returning to stand upright before his young master's bed, Sebastian's tall yet lean figure hovered over the bed ever so slightly, a finger reached out to lightly tap on the shoulders of the drowsy child who remained hidden under the layers of satin.

"Young master, we cannot afford to lose time. You have a day ahead of you." Came another lecture from Sebastian as he swirls the refreshment with a teaspoon to blend the tea leaves and water.

Once again, it elicited a groan from the child's lips as the statement began to stir him awaken. The earl continued to fumble underneath his quilt for quite some time before he managed to untangle himself from the sheets. How disorganized his appearance is for it was not sight to behold. There were cords of his navy locks stitching out, rustlings deter the finery of his gown as lids fluttered open to reveal mismatched eyes. Perhaps it is a mistake for the demon to have the symbol of contract engraved on the said spot, albeit he countered on about how appealing it was.

"For today's breakfast, you will have Apple Pie with Cinnamon Cream and Junshan Yinzhen as your cup of tea of today." He begins, a hand reaching out to offer the young earl a cup of tea he had prepared earlier. Ciel accepted, his gaze laboring upon the brown colored liquid for a short moment.

"What is this?"

"Junshan Yinzhen. It is a type of yellow tea that is popular among the Chinese folks. It has yet to be popular in the Western although it would seem that it is slowly gaining recognition over the past few years. I have ordered it not so long ago, and had yours exclusively made from the finest quality in China. My apologies, is it not to your liking?"

"The aroma is odd yet quite sweet in a way. And why is it that you have chosen this?"

"My apologies, my lord. Since your schedule is packed as of today, I thought it'd be a wise choice to bring you some tea that is said to have more beneficial affects on your health. Asides from that, a small inconvenience have happened in the kitchen." A smile played out on Sebastian's lips for he recalled one of a shelf where the tea powders set in jars were placed knocked over. Fortunately, not every single of them had broken into pieces and had their contents spilled out, dusting the marble floor. However, a shame it was for it would remain a considerably expensive amount of loss.

Ciel remained to busy himself in speculating the warm yet odd-scented tea he held in his hands. A sip was taken, and one sip alone was enough to have Ciel deem it as a tasty treat. "I see." The last part of the butler's statement went ignored as he indulged in taking few more sips from his cup, "Today's plans?"

"Completion of paperwork would be your first priority in the morning, and a discussion with Watson Elliot is scheduled to be hold by this afternoon. Social lessons and the principles of account comes in afterward."

"Watson Elliot? His name sounds oddly familiar." Another sip of tea is taken, a quiet sigh pushing past through the earl's lips as he begins to ponder on the name that drips a sense of familiarity. Much to his dismay, it dawns upon him of how the realization would not be seeping in as quick as he'd anticipate.

He, who had noticed this, fixated a watch on the child; his eyes glinted with a hint of curiosity. "Perhaps you will recognize him in no time, young master." The butler chuckled before he proceeds to slip the night attire off of the young male. A slick white shirt is donned, followed by a cotton lapel made from the finest quality, ornaments of beads enhancing its beauty. To favor his appearance further, shorts were deftly chosen to match with his coat. Indigo at a shade considered as pastel is the theme color of his outfit, and while the season for today's forecast called for it, it too meshed quite well with his skin tone.

Such a refining taste for the young master, indeed. From this, Sebastian felt satisfactory.

An eye-patch is plucked from the a stand nearby, and Sebastian begins to secure it around Ciel's head to have the pad cover the ill eye. "From what I gathered," He starts once more, "Watson Elliot is a doctor whose status is quite wealthy in Germany."

"A wealthy status? Inherited or procured?"

"Inherited, I believe."

"That could only mean one thing. A noble, is he. Doctors are not ones to simply be born with such status nor could they afford their own wealthy status. Unless an astounding achievement is done, that could be a reason as to why they are well-recognized enough to obtain a high status."

"That is true." Sebastian briskly responded as he laced a ribbon around the collar of Ciel's, one knee bent before him to have the knot patched with a notch. Once done, the outfit donned on the child has finally reached its completion. Lips curled, the valet then rose from his position. "Young master, your order?"

"Do a check up on him, have it reported before the time of our schedule. Once my session with Watson is done, have the rest of the today's plans cancelled off."

Sebastian chuckled. "The young master does not look forward to social lessons, hm? Have we not discussed about this?"

"And have I not given you an order? Is this one of your skims in going against our contract?" How curt and quick the reply had been followed by a glower sent at his direction. Ah, how cunning. How manipulative. _How thrilling._ Perhaps this is what that had made Ciel and the game itself more appealing. What more if they are tied by a contract? The proof of their forged contract lies in one of the child's gleaming eye and a mark on his hand emanating whenever given an order.

" _Yes,_ " A bow is given as an acquiescence, a palm gently wedged against his chest as a triumphant smile had begun to play across the demon's lips, " _– My lord._ "

* * *

 _Published on 8th July._  
 _Revised on 2nd August._

* * *

 **BEFORE PROCEEDING, PLEASE READ.**

Hello! This is not my first time writing a story, however, it is my first time writing a Black Butler story. Now, before I could move on to post the first chapter, I would like to point out that this story will be having hints of Sebastian x Ciel. It is only mild, as I plan to try and keep these two stay in character throughout this fanfic. However, there will be at some point that they are out of character.

To have you all informed in advance, please be aware that I can be slow with my updates. There are times when I lack motivation, and trust me, I prefer not to do things half-assed. Until this story is complete, I hope you all will bear with my slow updates and be patient. Please don't be afraid to point out my grammar mistakes if there is any! Thank you very much for reading this.


	2. Chapter 1: Midnight

**CHAPTER ONE; MIDNIGHT.**

Ticking seconds of a clock tormented about one's ears, a reminder given of how long moments have passed since the scheduled time of their conference. The remaining minutes to meet the doctor, Watson Elliot, had already reached its completion long ago— yet, their client is nowhere to be seen in sight.

Sebastian senses it, the growth of his master's impatience extending above its horizon. How captivating it was for it lied not in the demon's expectations that the young master would be able to withstand the man's lack of punctuality for this long. It made him wonder. How much further could the young earl go? How long would it take until the thin thread snaps into two as he bears no more patience in waiting?

A pocket watch is taken out– one that was given to him by Tanaka long ago– to quietly read the time. Preparations done to welcome the guest were completed about nearly an hour ago, and the thought of this eradicated a soft sigh from the butler as his lips pursed out into a thin line.

It would seem that the biscuits and tea have to be done once again, he mused; it will do no good if a meal was left to be untouched for a period longer than intended.

"His arrival should commence by anytime now." A plain but a daring guess it was as Sebastian neatly tucked the pocket watch back into the trench of his coat, hues of a crimson liquid falling onto its prey to mark his observance.

Droplets of sweat had begun to bead at the fore of his young master, the demon noted down, and those thin legs the young master retained were on the verge of crumbling due to exhaustion after standing for a time longer than intended. A comment is about to be made regarding one's scrutiny, that is until he is beaten to it, "That neanderthal should be here before the scheduled time." Cried out the child in a tone hinted of aggravation, brows knitting, and lips puckered. "How more long do we have to wait for an idiot who could not set his time management properly?"

There it was, an implication which has flared quite a signal on how conspicuous it had become to read the child's tenor. Irritation not only is evident in between the words that hung from his tongue, it limned his countenance either. Like trickling rainwater from the sky, his conduit of patience continued to spill without a charge. "I'd reckon you to hang on for a more while, my lord." A crooked smile came across the specter's face. "There might have been a disturbance along the way."

"That seems to be the case." A murmur came underneath Ciel's breath, his grip on the head of his cane tightened— one of the things the demon did not falter to notice.

Tumultuous neighs outside the manor had his senses set alarmed. "They have arrived," Sebastian informed in a quiet tone, one brow quirked in the mediocrity of flabbergast. Perhaps the idle chat had given him an assistance in going through the lingering minutes filled by the additional waiting, reaching up to the point where he was not aware of their incoming visitor; while it may be a be grateful thing for him as both he and his master's patience were waning, the fact that he did not notice it from far irked him to no end.

It set off... quite an unsettling intuition.

Thoughts are bounded to be discarded nonetheless, the demon begins to take the initiative by taking few steps forward until he stands at least an inch away from the passageway. With a hold on the ivory handle, he pulls on it, a smile depicting his folded tiers as a sort of an obsequious assurance to make their invitee feel all but not welcomed.

However, it would seem that this day continues to draw its the cards from a non-existent expectancy.

Sebastian stands outside by hinges of the barricade, tips of his digits tracing about the curvatures of his chin as he lays his gaze upon the coachman. The coachman who now lifelessly slumps at a crevice of his seat. "My, oh, my." From where he stands, he could already detect that the man no longer radiated a stench of being alive nor a soul that should be collected which brought down several possibilities that may have occurred.

And a lie would it be if he was to say that this did not pique even a slice of his curiosity.

 _Could this be the source of his discomfort earlier?_

In a brisk saunter towards the carriage, his eyes began to rake over the vehicle to take note of the vivid details. The carriage is finely sculpted with a material of Western Red Cedar, an exquisite choice for furniture as it would not rot in a moist environment. The wood was cloaked by a painting, its aromatic smell enshrouded, a pungent one taking its place. Frames alongside patterns of fine gold were carved as furthermore decorations, and wheels too were plated in gold. How luxurious this carriage seems to be had brought down a conclusion: Watson Elliot was rich indeed.

Close proximity had his pace halted in front of an entrance that the carriage possessed, an entry being granted once a hand seized its knob and clicked open. A faint creaking sound is heard as he drew it out, and of what to expect, only uncertainty fills in the gap.

There, revealed before him was their client. The mouth hung agape, and his body lied skewed in his seat.

"This is..." Cognizance fell onto the young child not far from his behind as his voice is heard, their hands barely touching each other as Ciel softly brushed past against him to remain at his side.

"This is our guest?"

"From the files I have gathered for my report, my lord— it seems that this is, without a doubt, our guest."

Sebastian merely watches him with intent, indulging the manifestation of stupefied in his features. Things have taken a turn for an awry direction, and he could tell that the earl came to be fully aware of this. A misstatement would it be if they were to say that the demon felt inquisitive in what Ciel chooses to do next. It was more than that, not only did Sebastian felt inquisitive, he had this hunger to know what would it be that comes after. Ciel provides him that exact satisfaction.

"A doctor said to save others' lives could not save his own." The child snorted at his dark sense of humor, his astonishment vanished since long ago. "How ironic."

"It appears that you are not taking this quite seriously, my lord." A chuckle fell from his lips, not at all expecting a jest. "Now then— what shall we do? Shan't we have this reported to the Scotland Yard?"

"Do not be ridiculous," A scoff escaped him. "Leaving it into the hands of a useless bunch is not in one of my interests. You should know that by now. Albeit they might be useful in one way or another."

Of course, Sebastian would not forget his young master likes to take advantage of those around him if given a chance. Debonair he may be, but more often than not, Ciel could come off as an apathetic person when it comes down to this line. "You'd rather have us investigate this, then?" He inquired, despite the fact that he was already conscious of Ciel's reply.

"There's no other choice. Had we left it to them, it might end up having suspicions rose about us which would be quite troublesome."

The last time they had become a suspect, it did not bode well for them for they had to deal with a case. The case was originally planned to put the earl under an impression that he was at the fault for a certain crime, but they eventually managed to get the blame pinned on someone else. On more than one occasion, the adolescent nearly got himself murdered during the time. Perhaps it had been a traumatizing experience for his master.

"Their death is rather a strange one," Sebastian bemused. No matter how long he pores over the topic or the possibilities, it led him nowhere, and this ticked him off at a point. The demon remained unwavering, nevertheless. Why let his guard down before the target he preys on?

"Odd. Should the culprit not have left the horses dead if they intend to wipe him out? They got rid of the coach, but why not the horses?" The question tossed by the child was one of the things that had run through his mind. "More importantly, young master," He takes a brief pause, "How did the horses managed to find their way here without the coach to guide them the directions?"

Silence has settled in, and he lets it linger for a tad longer than it should have. Ciel had his face contorted into one that showed his state of contemplation and one should know very well that when he observes pensively, he tends to pay almost a naught of his attention to his surroundings most of the time.

As much as he'd love to decipher the expression carving his facial features, he decided to cut in before his master could dwell further within the predicament. "Young master, perhaps it would be best if you have this left to me," Sebastian attempted to sound concern, "You should head back into the manor before the tea becomes too cold to your liking. If it has, I fear it would become nothing more than a waste."

"More waste for you to dispose of, hm?" Ciel shuffles to the side, and he did not miss how the corners of his mouth curled into one of Machiavellian. "This is an order, Sebastian; find the culprit behind this."

He gives a bow for one last time, "Yes,— my lord."

* * *

As the per usual, Sebastian performed his tasks without a fail. Whilst he had the bodies placed elsewhere cold, he strode the carriage along with its horses by the stables to inspect them for tomorrow. For now, he had other duties to do, and while the clock is nearing to a sixth hour, implements for dinner has yet to be made ready beforehand.

First, he will need to wash his self and have a change of his clothes. After moving corpses to another place and whatnot with the use of his hands, there was a high risk of leaving the meal unsanitary if he did not tend to his cleanliness.

Peeling off the worn gloves, Sebastian deposes them into a basket before striding into the bathroom and turning on the water tap. He cupped a scoopful of hot water as he brought it up to splash it against his face, rinsing off any dirt that might have get caught in between his skin follicles. The deed is done, and now all that is left to change his clothes.

He moves to the closet, taking out another set of his butler suit and just as Sebastian turned around, a reflection from the mirror that caught his eye.

A blink or two is given at the reflection in a mirror before him— to be more specific, a reflection of a feline bestowed before his sight. Under normal conditions, Sebastian would fawn over the said creature and pounce on them, adoration twinkling in the hub of his eyes as he holds them affectionately. However, a disruption prevented him from doing so. Whether or not is it a disruption in his sentimentality or a disruption in his actions, that has yet to be decided.

A tail is lifted, and in whichever direction he wishes to have it swayed, the reflection copied his movements precisely. Realization dawns upon him, and for the first time ever, a pang of uneasiness and apprehension has struck the demon in ways it never had before. He swished his head around, the whiskers in his sight and the clothes he had worn and the ones he picked out from his closet are all now discarded around him.

 ** _"Meow?"_**

That feline in the mirror was none other himself.


	3. Chapter 2: Denim

**CHAPTER TWO - DENIM**

Frantic glances would be taken at the area around the once butler, and he subsconsciously had begun to note on how things had become to be quite massive for his taste. It rushed the feline of an emotion he never once felt throughout his life— _fear_.

Truth to be stated, demons are capable of emotions– however, they came rare for the concept of Seven Deadly Sins were applied to their main persona; one of the reasons why demons were full of themselves. They were convinced that humanity is an epitome of inferiority, not only in skills, but due to their ability to have several kind of emotions at once that demons could not have. Perhaps that would be why they had found humanity quite amusing at the same time, their sadistic sense of entertainment fulfilled as they'd pick a stick to jab at them.

It never once occurred to any of these beings that they would be encountering the same fate.

Not even Sebastian.

The sensation came as an entirely new sentiment to the devil who was now a cat. It was left lingering, scorching at the buds of not only his mouth but as well as the mind. Whilst he is thankful for having to retain his thoughts, that did not mean it was slowly being edged to the brink where insanity begins.

The feline backs away, blinking for more than once in an attempt to rid these psychedelic dreams away when it was in fact a reality. This hit him once he felt the surface of a cold object colliding against his rear, his head swiftly turned to the side for a brief glimpse of the obstacle.

Yet, that brief glimpse turned into an observant gaze when it was set upon the mirror. Sebastian then made a complete swivel of his body, eyes fixated on the reflection made of his own imagery, taking in every detail and feature that described his appearance.

The hue of his tea brown orbs remained the same, its streak tinge of crimson however had grown to be seen more visible. As for his fur, it was one that resembles of a Russian Blue's, albeit unkempt and untidy, while its color stands at a shade of jet ink instead of a typical grey.

Had any individual lay their sight upon him, they certainly would know or realize that he is one sort of an unusual cat.

Sebastian knelt down on one leg, his tail wiggling up in the air as he began to mediate in hopes of regaining his human form. He must have unconsciously slipped into his cat form although it never happened before. Much to his horror however, he could not transform. He went as far as to try leaping up high into air, to see if his powers remained but to no luck, he could only reach as high as a cat could.

Could it be– _his tail flickered in panic–_ he lost his powers?

This is ridiculous. Him, a cat? Sebastian could not fathom an experience that could be worse than this. While it may be true that he is fond of cats, but to have his self turned into one? Is this a mere jest or is he now sworn to be in this form for eternity?

Sebastian frowned, that is if he could.

This is a nightmare. This _had to be_ a **nightmare**.

Nonetheless, despite the things he had done, it didn't seem to pull him out of this feverish dream. Every single attempt he made proved to be futile. For several times, Sebastian rolled around in his now petite form, and he'd occasionally try to knock his head against hard wooden furnitures.

This continued until he decided to giving himself a plop to the ground in front of the mirror, his chin dipped in between the two small paws.

" _Meow_." He released a mewl, a hiss sounded by the end of his long drawl.

How would he now tend to and cater the needs of his young master? How should he deal with problems that are bounded to be arisen, given the incident today?

He craned his neck, and lifted his paws to check whether or not had the mark of his contract been engraved into his palms— but it was not there. Did this mean that the contract broke?

How did this happen?

Thoughts hurdled about the mind of the demon as he laid there on the pavement. An unfamiliar sense of remorse washed over him, tingling with anxiety, and it felt as if he was choking on air the similar way one would choke on water. The only difference was that he was still very much alive.

Silence pursued the chamber for moments longer than intended once again, and the cat spent his time pondering on the sequence of events that had happened today.

The dark furred feline flared his nostrils before he rose to stand at his paws and lithe legs. As the saying had went, _"Time is gold."_ — and he could not afford to waste more of his time by moping around as it would not resolve the situation.

It seems that the time to prepare dinner for the young master has to be postponed, he secluded. A bigger problem lies ahead.

Here is the question however, will the earl recognize him?

 _"Meow."_

 _'Of course, not.'_ Sebastian narrowed his eyes at the incredulous thought. Obviously, Ciel would not know at first glance.

That was why Sebastian planned to have Ciel informed of his transformation.

Exiting the conduit of his chamber had become once an easy task. Now stuck in his form, Sebastian no longer can open them in the same way. Since his tiny paws could not have a proper grip onto the metal handle, he resorted to another kind of crevice.

He grabs his necktie that was discarded on the floor along with his other cloth items, the feline crawled onto the nightstand by the door, and quickly inserted the loop of said piece around the handle of the door. How thankful he felt for having the lock left open, otherwise, he would leave with no choice but to opt in using his window by the means of leaving or enter.

He leaps off of the table, the necktie in his mouth copied his movements which causes the entrance to click open as its handle was yanked on. Once he set his paws against the ground, Sebastian instantly dashed out, failing to become awair of a pair of eyes that had watched each and every single movement of his.

* * *

At the meantime, Ciel remained to be seated behind his desk, a feather quill in his hand. Stacks of papers waiting for their turn to be filled in while he takes his precious time doing his paperwork that should have been completed long ago. Yet, here he was, in a daze as he lets his mind wander seamlessly, mostly shifting to the incident that occurred this afternoon.

It was not long until a voice startled him out of his thoughts, successfully hauling him back into reality. "Young master!" His head shot up, noticing the maid whom had her head peeked in through the door. "My apologies for intruding, we have found a letter at the porch outside this evening!"

At this time? A brow is quirked, and Ciel had to admit— he is now mildly intrigued by what the letter may contain and whom had sent it.

"Bring it to me."

Maylene approached, handing out the envelope that is taken in by the dainty hands shortly after; the envelope held a stamp of the Queen's in front.

* * *

 _My apologies if this chapter felt short and rushed. No particular reason so, yes, you may hate me for it. It also recently occurred to me that I had the anonymous reviews options disabled. Silly me. They are now enabled. Thank you for the reviews, they were very much appreciated._

 _Revised on 15th August. I was awfully sleep when I wrote this chapter._


	4. Chapter 3: Navy

**Warning:** Bit mentions of gore.

* * *

 **CHAPTER THREE - NAVY**

Ciel lowered the envelope to have it tucked away with the other reams of papers on desk. Whilst the oddity of the time the delivery sent bore quite an impression that it was urgent, he deemed it as a second-hand duty to be done after these pile of sheets are filled.

Had it been urgent, Her Majesty surely woould have sent one of her men to coax him into fulfilling the mission with what little time given. Perhaps she found this as another method to rile him up for entertainment purposes, supposedly humoring her. Unless, she intends to test the young child as before. "You may leave." He spoke, about to turn to his work, the feather quill in hand as Ciel searched for the ink text where he last picked off reading.

"Before returning to your chamber," He hummed, "Have Sebastian informed to be in my office immediately."

The dismissal is said. However, Maylene retained her stand despite given the permission for her to retreat. After a subtle amount of time given once he noticed, he was now convinced that the maid would not return. This undoubtedly halted the child in his tracks, his gaze torn away to be sternly laid upon Maylene with curiosity flickering in his eyes.

"Is there a problem?" He questioned without a falter.

The child merely observed as his maid firstly fumbled around with the hem of her skirt, digits clenching onto the side of it. Ciel patiently waited, giving her the time to muster the words she kept in her mind. As long as it woll not cross the line where his patience grows incredibly thin as such of a thread. "Sebastian–" His eyes widened at the statement that followed after it, "–is not in the kitchen at the moment, young master."

He contemplated, lids clenching slightly shut which made him scrunch his nose. Sebastian was not in the kitchen? A glance is taken at the clock sat by his desk, and he noted that this was indeed the time when Sebastian would be doing preparations for his supper. "Have you checked the other parts of the manor?"

Maylene gave a solemn shake of her head. "We have yet to do a patrol around the manor, but we did check the chambers where he could possibly be. It's strange that Sebastian isn't in the kitchen within time as per usual."

A memory recalled, Ciel now remembered of the duty he has assigned his butler to tend. He did assume that the demon was taking his time basking in the order given for too long, otherwise, he would have come and spoke of the report– or the progress if yet to be dealt with. Maylene only confirmed his assumption by saying of his absence in the kitchen. "I had him assigned to a certain task earlier. He might be a tad bit late. It's nothing to be concern about. He will be back, I'm sure of it. In fact, he might be in the kitchen by now as we speak."

"I certainly do hope so."

"Will that be all?"

"Y-yes, young master!" She gave a hasty bow, turning to exit the condone of the child's with the silver tray in her arms. "Thank you, young master." Came the murmurs of the maid that crippled the atmosphere with a gentle swayed of a soft breeze.

With that, Ciel resumed doing his work.

 **( Of Paws and Purrs. )**

The envelope has yet to be read, for Ciel decided to take a minute rest after busying himself with tasks that drained out the energy in him. Said task is the paperwork consisted not only of reports; it held checklists, statements of account, books of prime entry, documents regarding the profits made and outputs the Funtom company sold, and several more. It was simply frustrating.

How hectic the situation had become. For one, a rival company emerged from a country elsewhere grew quite enormous and popular in less than one month, and as a consequence, the Funtom company faced some losses. In the end, nonetheless, it was only a diminutive portion that told their loss and the company remained to sit at the top. The quill is set down, and Ciel slumps in his chair as he basks in the glorious moment of tranquility and freedom from his stress.

From one of the shelves, books were neatly put in alignment like the rest, however one of them from a row peaked the child's curiosity by the time he shifted his gaze at its direction.

Fingers latching onto the handle of a teacup, Ciel lets his boredom take the lead as he rose from his seat and strode to the shelves. Only for a second, he surveyed it– and it clicked in his mind that this shelf iwas his collection of novels written by Edgar Ellen Poe.

With a sip taken from his tea before being placed down at a sturdy quaint desk, Ciel reached out for the book that caught his interest. This book is thin compared to the other compilations, he noted, and its rough-like texture nearly made him reach to the point of questioning– what could it be that made this different from the rest? He pulled out, eyes raking over the cover.

 _ **The Black Cat,** _ the title read, _**by Edgar Ellen Poe**_.

Returning to his seat, he laid the book on his lap, the cup of tea back in his hands as he took another mindful sip.

His navy eyes began to slit at the cursive words engraved on the surface. Both hands settling on the think book, the child flip to one of the pages, dismissively going through the lines until he paid full attention to the first line of the last paragraph on the page.

 _This latter was a remarkably large and beautiful animal, entirely black, and sagacious to an astonishing degree_.

How obvious it was to what this phrase referred to; it was the cat. The book itself is titled the Black Cat for a reason, after all. Ciel bothered not to read the rest, already obtaining a handful of knowledge in how the story went. This was the the tale that once gave him a nightmare, after all.

Somewhere along the story, the main character gouged one of his cat's eyes out in his drunken state, and guilt plagued his mind when he realises what he has done. In the end, he hung the creature as he theorised that he'd be freed from the burden, but alas, the cat bestow a curse on him along with the corpse of his wife whom he murdered with an axe chucked into her head.

Such a tragic end for a man to be at the end of a creature– irony rusting in the air suchlike that a tragic end for a man who was once fond of animals.

"Truly _ironic."_

Ciel, on the other hand, not quite so much. It isn't that he despises any sort of animal, he'd much rather pay no mind to them is all. Unless it comes down to _cats,_ he has no choice but be cautious whenever they stand in the presence of _a certain butler_.

Sighing ever so explicably, he puts the book aside with the papers he was currently slacking off from doing them, and that included a certain mail. The envelope stared at him with mockery, its crimson stamp most likely being the culprit of his concern. He had no qualms in reading it, but its presence led to an increase in his built-up frustration.

Perhaps some tasty treat would be relieving by now.

However, it would appear that the butler failed to serve him an evening meal in time, and the ticking hands of the clock on his wall was enough of the evidence. "If this isn't odd," the child thought aloud, "He always comes in at the right time." What could have made him to show up late now? Did he run into some sort of trouble?

He would have to wait, it seemed. Childish, he may be however, Ciel isn't one entirely dependant on Sebastian. That would only prove that he was nothing more than a pitiful brat although he did consider the times he made his servant done unnecessary things– either for entertainment uses or relief purposes.

 _"A— Achoo!_ "

The young boy moved swift enough to cover his mouth in time, a loud gasp for breath taken in as he sniffled. The abrupt course done had him stand from his throne in an instant, his eyes now searching for the source of his sudden sneeze. Nothing seemed peculiar. "That's strange." He thought aloud before taking his seat once more.

It wasn't long until another fit of sneezes were thrown.

"Am I getting a cold?" He reached for a tissue and stifled another sneeze. Uncertain of what may have caused his uncontrollable sneezes, he decided to move away from his desk.

His only conclusion by now was that it might have been the dust that triggered it as it also is an allergy of his asides cats. One of the reasons why he had Sebastian to ensure the manor is completely cleaned from even a single speck of dust.

"Achoo!" Once again, the child sneezed into his tissue, eyes clenching quite tightly as he felt his nose flared up with a burn, and with a loud sniff, he knew he was bounded to have a block in his nasal passage at that moment.

Slowly, his eyes blinked open, a blur first clouded his vision which kept him from making out a dark silhouette before him, leaving him without a choice but to wait out until his sight became more clear.

It did, and the first thing he noticed was a pair of crimson eyes peering up into his. The whiskers on its face. The four legs on ground. Then the tail.

"Cat?!" A yelp escaped from him, and Ciel wasted no time in taking a retreat from the cat by a couple of steps.

 _A cat_. A  cat. There is a _**cat**_ inside his room. Not only is it a cat, it's a _**black cat**_. It was as if Edgar Poe's work came alive. Only then did it click his mind. This perfectly makes sense– his allergy reactions and the butler neglecting his duty to fawn over creatures he adored instead. "That blasted demon must have sneaked him in!" After the amount of times he lectured him, or rather, threw quite a fit, Sebastian pursued to bring cats in.

 _"Meow."_ The cat mewed, inching forward towards the boy only resulting the latter taking a few more steps backwards.

"W-wait, don't get near me, you filthy, uncouth—! _ACHOO!"_

A loud sneeze resounded throughout the conduit of the earl's and long last, he was forced to crumble under his legs and lay sprawled on top of the carpet with a raspy groan escaping his throat. Before the cat could come any closer, Ciel already had him halt in his movements with a glare that was thrown.

"Get out!"

The feline did not flinch. Instead, it had its crimson orbs pierced upon the young child, and for that single moment, he caught a glimpse of emotion that flashed in its eyes. And somehow, something within that gaze made it unnerving. Either was it real or might it be naught more than a figment of his imagination, it would only make sense if the earl prolonged with the second choice. Cats, after all, are unpredictable. Not only unpredictable, but quite stubborn.

"I said _get out. Shoo._ " He repeated with venom in his voice, yet the cat budged not even one bit.

"... I take that you do not want to leave." He knew it was pointless; as if a cat has an audacity to understand the human language. What is it exactly that made Sebastian took a liking to them? Ciel sighed and pressed his fingers against the sides of his temples before rising up from the ground, the wall being his support in helping him to stand.

"I should have known he was distracted by the likes of you." He scrunched his face into a look said of pure annoyance. A word will be said with his butler, he already decided this long ago with an exception that this matter will be included. "Stay put. There. Until I tell you the otherwise. I must have a word with your caretaker also known as the bastard who brought you in here."

Like that, the boy scurried off, unable to spend another second of his life with the being whose form had caused his allergies to react. The same being that he was searching for. The same being that watched as his master left without recognizing him at all.

* * *

It would be appreciated if any of you leave some of your thoughts on this story so far, and try not to sugarcoat it. I need to know what I can do to improvise the story and my writing. I humbly thank you if you have taken the time to read this.

 **Important note.** After some time debating, I decided to completely make this fanfic as a pairing of Sebastian x Ciel. My apologies if this ticked any of you off, but all I can say is, well, it quite runs along with a plot I have in mind. Rating may change as well.


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